Classical Musicians Interpret Astronauts’ Footage of the Planet for Earth Music Theater

On the International Space Station (ISS), a module known as the Cupola allows astronauts to float into a small, window-filled viewing area. It’s used for observing high-tech exercises, spacewalks, and incoming vehicles, but it’s also a spectacular place to view what’s right outside: Earth.

Astronauts often take thousands of photos and videos of what they see from their lofty vantage point, and the Association of Space Explorers (ASE)—the professional association of astronauts who have flown on a mission, representing 43 countries—archives the footage for educational use. So far, the collection consists of more than seven million photos and movies. What to do with all of them? Enter Earth Music Theater.

Facilitated by ASE, Earth Music Theater is a multimedia project marrying sonic experiences with incredible imagery captured from above the earth. Musicians perform a combination of self-composed melodies and classical pieces, such as works by J.S. Bach. The video above, for example, features British Baroque ensemble Solomon’s Knot, while in several others, guitarist Steve Thomas interprets the footage through his own songs.

Imagery ranges from Jessica Meir’s capture of aurora australis moving across the earth’s atmosphere as the ISS orbits above Antarctica to remarkable shots of terrain and weather patterns. Earth Music Theater’s catalogue consists of dozens of movies, some of which are only a few minutes long and others that run the length of a feature film.

The initiative also occasionally coordinates live performances around the world, and you can also see recordings of these live performances on its website.

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